Belt-buckle



J. HEBERLING.

BELT BUCKLE.

APPLICATION mp0 FEB. 24, 1920.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

IN VEN TOR.

BY 7% W 4TTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HEBERLING, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO- HICKOK MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BELT-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed February 24, 1920. Serial No. 361,068.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HEBERLING, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to belt buckles and an object thereof is to providev a simple, effective and inexpensive means for clamping the free end of the belt to the buckle. Another object of the invention is to improve that type of belt buckle in which the frame is formed from a single piece of sheet material with slotted side flanges on which a clamping slide operates by constructing the clamping slide so that it will not'wear the walls of the slots and render the clamping slide ineffective. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective means for securing the inner end of the strap or belt to the buckle so that the inner end will lie firmly against the free end and at the same time bind such free end against the buckle frame.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a belt employing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge view of the belt with the buckle thereon;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal enlarged section through the belt buckle;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the belt buckle showing the manner of securing the inner end of the strap;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the belt buckle with the strap disconnected therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the manner in which the strap end is clamped;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the belt bucklein the plane of the slide;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of another embodiment of the slide;

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views of the form of slide shown in Fig. I

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment showing the different form of slide in clamping position;

F 1g. 12 is a transverse section of a belt buckle employing the slide illustrated in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is another detail fragmentary View of the slide shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Referring first to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 7, there is employed abuckle frame, in this instance in the form of a front plate 1 on which a monogram or other ornamentation may be placed having rearwardly extended side flanges 2. The strap or belt 3 has one end secured to this buckle frame and this securing means which forms one of the features of this invention, is preferably in the form of a bar 4 mounted to slide on the buckle frame preferably at a slight angle to the rear face of the front plate 1 of the buckle frame. This result in this instance is secured by providing the side flanges 2 with slots 5, said slots being at oblique angles to the front plate of the buckle frame and having the ends of the bar 4 working therein. The inner end of the strap 3 is passed about this bar 4 and is secured by a head and socket fastener 611 In order that the headed device of the fastener may be passed under the bar 4, the bar is deflected at 7. It is apparent that the pull or tension on the bar 4 will ten'dto move said bar toward the outer or lower ends of the slots 5 and in this way cause the secured or inner end of the belt or strap to be brought into a frictional engagement with the free end 3* ofthe belt or strap lying between the bar and the rear face of the front plate 1. I

A clamping means of novel construction is provided for securing the free end 3" of the belt or strap. This clamping means in all illustrated embodiments is in the form of a slide 8 guided on ways 9 on the buckle frame. It is preferred to form these ways in the side flanges 2 of the buckle frame by providing slots in said flanges, these slots preferably having their inner ends extending substantially parallel with the front plate 1 while their outer ends incline slightly with reference to said front plate so that the slide may lie at their inner ends to permit the free movement of the strap beneath the slide. A

feature of this slide is its wide or extended bearing on the guide 9, so that the thin metal of which the side flanges are made will not be worn adjacent the clamping position of the slide to prevent the latter entering into binding engagement with the strap. is also preferred to mount on the slide 8 a movable member 10 for engagement with the free end 3 of the strap. The slide in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 10 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal bent along opposite edges at 8* to provide a wide hearing surface and confining means for the movable member 10. The latter, in the our bodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 7 is in the form of a roller which has its ends projected through the slots 9 and also confined by laterally turned portions 8 at the ends of the slide, these laterally turned portions be ing also turned inwardly to coi perate with the outer faces of the flanges Q in order to confine the slide against longitudinal move ment in the slots 9. The flanges 8 extend into the slots and prevent the loose lateral movement of the slide in tie slots.

The operation of the embociment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to T is effected bv moving the slide to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 when the strap end 3 may be introduced. between the slide and the rear face of the front plate 1. The ends of the slide which project beyond the side flanges 2 are then engaged with the fingers and lie slide is moved toward the outer end of the slot so as to bring the movable member ill in engagement with the belt. Tension then placed upon the strap 3 will cause the roller 10 to move on the slide 8 toward the outer end of the slot and produce a binding action. on said strap.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 8, 10, the parts are the same as those shown in Figs. 1 to 7 except that, instead of a roller 10, a plate 10 is provided with a laterally and inwardly turned flange 11 which. is adapted to engage with the strap end 3. The operation is the same as the other embodiment except that the movable member 10 slides laterally on the slide 8 and at the same time has a partial rocking movement.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive, the guide slots 9 are reduced in width and the slide 8 is in the form of a plate having its edges operating in said slots 9 and held therein by washers 12 secured to the ends of the plate. The plate 8 has a portion 8 bent from one piece of metal therewith and extended over it, this portion 8 being slotted at 8 in order to receive the movable member 10 This movable member is in the form of a rocking plate having lugs or projections 10 at its inner edge extending through slots in the portion 8 and bent over in order to hold said member to the movable slide. The opnan this invention secures the end or belt in such a manner that the secured end moves into lirni engagement with the free end of the belt. it slide is pro vided which has ernded bearing on two slotted flanges so that the wearing of the flanges is prevented This slide has also a movable member which is brought into clamping engagement with the free end of the belt alter the slide has been moved by hand toward the outer end of the slot. it the inner end of t: slot, the movable member lies out of contact with the free end of the belt so that such free end may he readag fitted to or discol'inccted fron' die belt buckle. v- .iat l claim as my lll.' ,'lltl01l and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. ill buckle conngrisingi a f me formed with a front plate and rearwardly c ending side flanges n'ovided with slots inclined with reference to the rear face of t re front plate, and clamping slide movable in said slot and having extended tra sverse hearing on the walls of the sl to prevent the wearing of said walls. 7

2. ii belt buckle comprising a frame having a surface against which the end of a belt is clamped, a clamping member mov able on said frame toward and from surface, and a device .i'nounted on said clamping member and carried into engage ment with the free end of a. belt against the clamping surface said device having a further nioven'ient on the member toward the clampii surface of the frame under the actioi o i the belt in the direction o"... the latter. belt buckle comprising a fiaine having a surface against which the belt end clamped, a slide movable on said frame to ward and from said surface, and a device mounted on the slide and carried thereby into engagement with belt lying againstthe clamping surface the frame, said de vice having a further movement on the member toward the clamping surface of the length frame under the action of tension on the belt in the direction of the length of the latter.

frame fill lib

l 3 ll the clamping surface of the frame, said de vice having a further movement on the member toward the clamping surface of the grime under the action of tension on the 5. A belt buckle comprising a. frame and a clamping slide movable on said frame and provided with a bearing, surface and limiting means on opposite sides of the bearing surface, said clamping slide having a portion movable on the bearing surface between said limiting means to cooperate with the free end of the belt.

6. A belt buckle comprising a frame formed with a front plate, and a pair of laterally extending side flanges provided with slots arranged at slight angles to the front plate, and a clamping slide movable in said slots and provided with a bearing surface, and limiting means on opposite sides of the bearing surface, said slide also being provided with a movable portion operating on the bearing surface between the limiting means to engage with the free end of the belt.

7. A belt buckle comprising a frame formed with a front plate and laterally extending side flanges having slots at angles to the plane of the front plate, and a clamping slide movable in said slots and formed from a single piece of material with its ends bent to cooperate with the outer sides of the flanges to limit the longitudinal movement of said slide, said slide also having a movable portion for engaging with the free end of the belt.

8. A belt buckle comprising a frame formed with a front plate and laterally ex tending side flanges provided with slots inclined to the plane of the front plate, and a clamping slide movable in said slots and formed from a single piece of material having portions at its ends cooperating with the outer faces of the side flanges and hav ing limiting means along opposite sides, said slide having a movable portion between said limiting means for engaging with the free end of the belt.

9. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a surface against which the free end of a belt is clamped, a member movable on said frame toward and from the surface, and a roller mounted on said member and carried thereby into engagement with a belt lying against the clamping surface of the frame, said roller having a further movement on the clamping member toward said clamping surface of the frame under the action of tension on the belt in the direction of the length of the latter.

10. A belt buckle comprising a frame having a surface against which the belt is clamped, a slide movable on said frame toward and from said surface, and having a bearing surface which lies at any slight angle to the clamping surface of the frame when said slide is adjusted toward such clamping surface, and a device mounted on the slide and carried thereby into engagement with a belt lying against the clamping surface of the frame, said device having a further movement on the bearing surface toward the clamping surface of the frame under the action of tension on the belt in the direction of the length of the latter.

11. In combination with a belt, a buckle comprising a frame formed with a front plate having a surface against which the free end of the belt is clamped, said frame also having laterally extending side flanges provided with slots inclined to the clamping surface of the frame, a bar movable in said slots and having the inner end of a belt secured thereto and adapted to be brought by said bar into frictional engagement with the free end of the belt resting against the clamping surface of the frame, and clamping means carried by the side flanges of the frame to hold adjustable the free or outer end of the belt against the clamping face of the frame in connection with said bar.

JOHN HEBERLING. 

